wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 16 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has also been viewed 6,974 times.
Learn more...

There are a lot of different faux finishing techniques besides the well known sponging or ragging, but before you decide to start any project or buy any faux painting tools, there are a few important things that should be thought out clearly before you start faux painting in order to avoid major complications or problems that might delay or completely derail a work in progress.

Steps

1

Ask Questions. Before you choose what faux finishing technique you want to faux paint your wall with, ask yourself the following questions:

Is the finish going to look too busy or patchy overall? Remember that when you are looking at a small sample, it is different than looking at it over large areas. That's why you should always practice on a large poster board first. You might want to paint a couple of boards and place them on the wall and then stand back to get the full effect before you proceed to faux paint the wall. Make sure if you are going with a patterned type of faux finish that it does not clash with the décor in your room. Sometimes it’s best to go with a simple color washing faux finish that incorporates all the main colors in the room and blends nicely in the background.

Is it practical? Take into account the complexity of the finish you like - is it going to be easy to touch up later? Remember that some decorative finishes cannot be touched up and so are not suited for high traffic areas.

How high are your ceilings? If the technique you are going to use requires using a roller or brushing on more than one color, you should use a scaffold instead of dangerously carrying up multiple trays up a ladder. However, if you can’t fit a scaffold in the area, then you will have no choice, therefore get your climbing shoes on because you will go up and down that ladder a lot of times.

2

Make sure your work area is large enough the number of people required. If the method you are going to use requires using 2 persons, make sure that both of you will be able to fit in the working area, especially if you have to fit a ladder in there, too.

3

Ensure that you have the right tools for the right job. In choosing your faux finish and the faux painting tools you are going to use, keep in mind that in small sections or tight areas, the tools might not fit. Therefore, it’s best to keep those patterned faux finishes to walls that don’t have too many fixtures on them.

Community Q&A

Video.

By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube.

Tips

When doing a faux finish ,don't be afraid to experiment with different things like. newspaper crumpled up or wrinkled plastic etc. for many kinds of finishes. Also always start with a base color and go over that with a different colored glaze usually in the same hues.

Decide what type of look you want. A crumpled stiff piece of paper will make a rocky effect or dragging a rag will give you a marble look etc.

Then there is graining which is the art of making things look like they are made of wood using a series of comb's & brush's.

Warnings

You don’t want to spend a lot of money on faux painting tools and precious time learning a faux finishing technique, only to find out that you will not be able to achieve the finish on your walls due to insufficiently taking time to consider these important questions first.

Made Recently

Article Info

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 16 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has also been viewed 6,974 times.